Conversation Analysis

A qualitative research methodology that studies the sequential organization and interactional dynamics of naturally occurring talk and social interaction. Conversation analysis examines fine-grained details such as turn-taking, pauses, overlapping speech, gaze direction, gesture, and the use of physical artifacts in communication. In accessibility research, conversation analysis is particularly valuable for understanding how people with communication disabilities co-construct meaning with partners, revealing competencies and strategies that may not be apparent through other research methods. It has been used extensively in aphasia research to demonstrate how people with limited verbal abilities remain competent communicators through multimodal resources.